A year or so ago, I told you about my Spark List. As opposed to a to-do list, it’s a list of things that light a spark inside us and inspire us.  

As I’ve written about before, I think we all need a Spark List. My Spark list is something I keep revisiting and adding to – because it’s important to keep that spark inside lit up.

So, a couple of weeks ago, Madden and I went to a seafood restaurant that’s right on the water, at the Chicago River. When we went into the restaurant, we noticed that below, on the water, there was a sign pointing down that said “BBQ Pontoon.”

Of course, I googled it while we were at the restaurant. It turned out that these pontoon boats were rentable in blocks of two hours and could hold between 8-10 people. It just seemed like such a fun idea. I thought to myself, “hmm, I could just rent one of these?”

I looked over at Madden and declared, “I think we need to do that one night.” It went on my Spark List right away.

Last Sunday, my friend Allison’s family joined our family on the BBQ Pontoon. As we enjoyed cruising up and down the Chicago River, visiting while eating pizza, it felt like the ultimate end of summer night. The idea of making a pizza on a little pontoon was somewhat strange, but that is also what made it so fun. At times, as we floated along, it even felt a bit like we were in a movie scene.

The weather was perfect. The city looked perfect. The Lumineers streamed from a speaker on the boat. It really was just a perfect Chicago night.

When the sun was setting, I looked around at John, the kids, and my friends and stated aloud, “I feel so happy right now.” And everybody agreed.

It felt so good to be out on the water together like that.

It also felt like a kind of reset. I’m usually always on the move in the city. When you’re so busy on the move, you don’t really see what’s around you. Slowly floating out on the water was a chance to appreciate city life with refreshed eyes. Honestly, it almost felt like seeing the city for the first time. Being out on the water, we were all blown away by the city’s glow. It’s not something we give ourselves the opportunity to see every day. 

I found myself thinking, “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe we live here.”

It’s an important lesson in life to give ourselves the chance to look at something from a different angle – to really appreciate it. It’s so easy to forget to appreciate the city where you live. Most of the time, we’re so busy living life in the city we take the city itself for granted. And the city of Chicago often gets a bad rap. So, this was a nice reminder that sometimes we just aren’t seeing everything. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of a refreshed perspective. 

Our night out on the BBQ Pontoon removed us from city life just enough to really reconnect with it. It also reminded me that we need more fun nights like that, just soaking in and appreciating the beauty of our city. Intentional fun.

It was so worth the money.

And I’ve already found another activity for my Spark List, for another day. That night, we passed a few little water taxis that anyone could take to cross the river. What a fun alternative to crossing the bridge with a car. And I thought, why don’t we ever take those? Now, it’s on my list.

Our Chicago night out on the pontoon really solidified for me the importance of carving out the space and time to do new things. Even within city life, there are always little ways to feed in fun moments.

Sometimes, my to-do list rules my day. Last Sunday was a Spark List day.

Here’s a reminder not to forget to make your own list, and don’t forget to follow through on it…